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Winemaker's Notes:

2004 VINTAGE:
The years go by, but each is different from the last. After a 2003 vintage that was one of the earliest ever recorded, but with greatly reduced volumes and low acidity, 2004 was a much more "normal" vintage. The grapes were remarkably healthy to begin with, levels of acidity were excellent, and a comfortable volume was forecast.
After a generally damp summer, exceptionally fine weather in September sealed the destiny of this vintage, before conditions deteriorated from mid-October onwards. A vintage without late-harvest VT or SGN wines for us, but with fine, classic wines of great aromatic purity.
VINIFICATION:
Classic "Hugel" wines are made exclusively from grapes purchased from winegrowers under long-term contract, in a dozen of the most favoured localities in and around Riquewihr.
The grapes are taken in small tubs to the presses, which are filled by gravity, without any pumping or other mechanical intervention.
After pressing, the must is decanted for a few hours, then fermented in temperature-controlled barrels or vats (at 18 to 24°C). The wine is racked just once, before natural clarification during the course of the winter. The following spring, the wine is lightly filtered just before bottling, and the bottles are then aged in our cellars until released for sale.
TASTING NOTES:
(by Serge Dubs, World's Best Sommelier 1989)
Still very young in colour, a shimmering pale green, translucent, bright and crystal-clear.
Fragrant and lively bouquet of crisp, spring-like fruit aromas, crunchy green apple, grapefruit, lime, gooseberry, fresh moss, new-mown hay and almonds, a frank and youthful Pinot Blanc character yet with its own restraint and discretion.
Attractively dry, lively and easygoing, it first sharpens the palate, then quenches the thirst and finally allows a fleeting sensation of what the future will hold after it has had the time to open up a little.
Its youthful character dominates at present, making it agreeable to enjoy within the year, but it is a wine that will reach its full potential in from 2 to 4 years.
Drink it at 8°C as an aperitif, with seafood, poached sea and freshwater fish, asparagus and goat's cheese.
7 June 2005

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Alsace : a climate blessed by the gods Thanks to its privileged geographical situation, Alsace is the driest wine region in France. Its micro-climate is caused by the distance which separates it from maritime influences, and by the protection of the Vosges mountains. This climate enables the grapes to ripen slowly to full maturity, giving the wine great finesse of aroma and unequalled intens... Read more

Alsace : a climate blessed by the gods Thanks to its privileged geographical situation, Alsace is the driest wine region in France. Its micro-climate is caused by the distance which separates it from maritime influences, and by the protection of the Vosges mountains. This climate enables the grapes to ripen slowly to full maturity, giving the wine great finesse of aroma and unequalled intensity. A mosaic of soils Because of its complex geology, Alsace has an infinite multitude of combined soil types. Centuries of experience have taught the winegrowers how best to match each vine variety to each type of soil. Riquewihr : the most noble wines of all the country From the Middle Ages, Riquewihr was renowned for "the most noble wines of all the country". The Hugel family’s vineyard estates cover more than 25 hectares, exclusively in Riquewihr, and almost half of which are in the Grand Cru zone. No use of fertiliser, low yields, vines averaging thirty years of age, thinning out of excess bunches, and picking always by hand, are all factors which contribute to rigorously high levels of quality. The finest vineyards of the region In addition to its own estates, the Hugel family purchases grapes and grapes alone, from growers under long-term contract, farming more than 100 hectares. Thanks to the skill of their growers, a dozen of the best villages of Alsace thereby contribute to the quality of "Hugel" wines. Their grapes are also always picked by hand, and according to a pre-arranged timetable. Read less

Shows great minerality and intensity for an entry-level wine. Pencilly aromas, with an element akin to graphite, but also citrus and green-apple fruit. The flavors stay focused: green apple and lemon mixed with stony, minerally notes. It's only medium-bodied, but the finish is long and almost painfully intense. - J.C. ** Only 18 in Stock **

Shows great minerality and intensity for an entry-level wine. Pencilly aromas, with an element akin to graphite, but also citrus and green-apple fruit. The flavors stay focused: green apple and lemon mixed with stony, minerally notes. It's only medium-bodied, but the finish is long and almost painfully intense. - J.C. ** SOLD OUT **

Shows great minerality and intensity for an entry-level wine. Pencilly aromas, with an element akin to graphite, but also citrus and green-apple fruit. The flavors stay focused: green apple and lemon mixed with stony, minerally notes. It's only medium-bodied, but the finish is long and almost painfully intense. - J.C. ** Only 16 in Stock **

2004 VINTAGE:
The years go by, but each is different from the last. After a 2003 vintage that was one of the earliest ever recorded, but with greatly reduced volumes and low acidity, 2004 was a much more "normal" vintage. The grapes were remarkably healthy to begin with, levels of acidity were excellent, and a comfortable volume was forecast.
After a generally damp summer, exceptionally fine weather in September sealed the destiny of this vintage, before conditions deteriorated from mid-October onwards. A vintage without late-harvest VT or SGN wines for us, but with fine, classic wines of great aromatic purity.
VINIFICATION:
Classic "Hugel" wines are made exclusively from grapes purchased from winegrowers under long-term contract, in a dozen of the most favoured localities in and around Riquewihr.
The grapes are taken in small tubs to the presses, which are filled by gravity, without any pumping or other mechanical intervention.
After pressing, the must is decanted for a few hours, then fermented in temperature-controlled barrels or vats (at 18 to 24°C). The wine is racked just once, before natural clarification during the course of the winter. The following spring, the wine is lightly filtered just before bottling, and the bottles are then aged in our cellars until released for sale.
TASTING NOTES:
(by Serge Dubs, World's Best Sommelier 1989)
Still very young in colour, a shimmering pale green, translucent, bright and crystal-clear.
Fragrant and lively bouquet of crisp, spring-like fruit aromas, crunchy green apple, grapefruit, lime, gooseberry, fresh moss, new-mown hay and almonds, a frank and youthful Pinot Blanc character yet with its own restraint and discretion.
Attractively dry, lively and easygoing, it first sharpens the palate, then quenches the thirst and finally allows a fleeting sensation of what the future will hold after it has had the time to open up a little.
Its youthful character dominates at present, making it agreeable to enjoy within the year, but it is a wine that will reach its full potential in from 2 to 4 years.
Drink it at 8°C as an aperitif, with seafood, poached sea and freshwater fish, asparagus and goat's cheese.
7 June 2005